2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Where 1st-Round Prospects Will End Up

With the NFL draft looming on Thursday it won't be long before the speculation of the first round is over and grades will be handed out to all the teams involved.

For now, though, the anticipation remains high for the 31 players who will be taken in the first round as the New England Patriots will not select after their pick was forfeited due to their role in Deflategate.

The Los Angeles Rams made the first splash of the draft before it even began, unloading their first-round (No. 15) pick, two second-round picks and a third-round pick this year as well as first and third-round selections next year, for the No. 1 overall pick.

If that seems like a lot to give up, it is.

However, the Rams, who recently moved from St. Louis, seem to want to make a big splash now that they are in Southern California. 

The question that now remains is: Who will they take with their new top selection?

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Los Angeles Rams (via TEN)	Jared Goff	QB	Cal
2	Philadelphia Eagles (via CLE)	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
3	San Diego Chargers	Laremy Tunsil	OL	Ole Miss
4	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Ramsey	DB	Florida State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
6	Baltimore Ravens	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
7	San Francisco 49ers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
8	Cleveland Browns (via PHI)	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
10	New York Giants	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
11	Chicago Bears	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
12	New Orleans Saints	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
13	Miami Dolphins (via PHI)	Darron Lee	OLB	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
15	Tennessee Titans (via LA)	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
16	Detroit Lions	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
17	Atlanta Falcons	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
18	Indianapolis Colts	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
19	Buffalo Bills	Robert Nkemdiche	DT	Ole Miss
20	New York Jets	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
21	Washington Redskins	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
22	Houston Texans	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Germain Ifedi	OL	Texas A&M
27	Green Bay Packers	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor
28	Kansas City Chiefs	William Jackson III	CB	Houston
29	Arizona Cardinals	T.J. Green	FS	Clemson
30	Carolina Panthers	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
31	Denver Broncos	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State

Rams Poised to Take a Quarterback at No. 1

The Rams didn't sell their soul to take an outside linebacker with the first selection.

Los Angeles is trying to make a splash, and they'll do that by taking a quarterback—either Carson Wentz from North Dakota State or Jared Goff from California.

Six of eight NFL.com writers surveyed think Wentz is the better overall prospect, although that didn't always translate into a decision to take him over Goff.

Former NFL general manager, and one of the eight writers, Charley Casserly, thinks both could be a good fit for different reasons, according to NFL.com:

"

I like Carson Wentz over Jared Goff long term, but Goff is a better fit right now. And Los Angeles could indeed be a QB away from being a playoff team — the Rams have a good defense and a Pro Bowl RB in Todd Gurley. Goff has very good pocket presence — he sees things quickly and has a quick release. But he does not have a top arm. 

To be frank, though, I don't think either one of these QBs is an elite prospect.

"

Just because Wentz did not play in the FBS does not mean he won't be an NFL success story. However, Goff looks to be more ready to play now. Even though he's one inch shorter and about 20 pounds lighter than Wentz, he has 14 more career starts and will enter more polished and ready to help the Rams make a playoff run.

Wide Receivers Aplenty in This Draft

There are plenty of pass-catchers to go around in the first round, and this mock has four of them going, including three in a row from picks 22-24.

With so much talent between the quartet (in addition to Ohio State's Michael Thomas, who could end up in the first round as well) the slightest difference between two could help a team make its decision. While combine results and team visits will play a more vital role than 2015 stats, it's worth taking a look at the numbers they put up last season:

Player	School	Games	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
Corey Coleman	Baylor	12	74	1,363	20
Josh Doctson	TCU	10	78	1,326	14
Will Fuller	Notre Dame	13	62	1,258	14
Laquon Treadwell	Ole Miss	13	82	1,153	11

Treadwell, who bounced back in 2015 after a gruesome leg injury in 2014, was projected as a top-15 pick for most of the offseason and landed in the top five of many mock drafts.

However, his stock has fallen some because of a slow 40-yard dash time, according to NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler (via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press):

"His 4.63, 40-yard dash shouldn’t matter because that’s the speed he shows on film. But it will scare some teams and cause him to slip a tad, even if it shouldn’t. There are some smart (general managers) hoping that is true, because they would love to scoop him up in the 20s."

Because so much of today's analysis seems to rely on numbers and projections ahead of the actual play on the field, this mock has him falling to the Carolina Panthers at No. 30. If so, he could be a lethal weapon when paired with Kelvin Benjamin.